Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday asked why NCP (SP) leader Sharad Pawar spoke up only now about two men meeting him and offering to ensure the Opposition’s victory in last year’s state elections.
“Why is Pawar disclosing this after Rahul Gandhi’s claims? Earlier, Pawar never endorsed Gandhi’s claims about (the manipulation of) EVMs. No matter what, free and fair polls are held in India… Gandhi tells stories that sound like a Salim-Javed script, and what Pawar has said seems to be the same script,” Fadnavis told reporters here.
Pawar claimed earlier in the day that two persons met him in Delhi before the 2024 assembly polls in Maharashtra and offered to help the Opposition alliance win 160 of the 288 seats. He introduced them to Rahul Gandhi, but the Congress leader too was of the view that the Opposition should not get involved in such things, the NCP (SP) chief added.
Fadnavis further questioned Gandhi’s reluctance to make a declaration in a quasi-judicial matter, suggesting that it stems from dishonesty, warning that if caught, Gandhi could face criminal proceedings.
